In stamping-die manufacturing, the first step is to build die patterns for lost wax casting process. A recent industry trend is to manufacture the die pattern using 3-axis NC machining. This study identifies technical considerations of the pattern machining caused by the characteristics of Styrofoam material, and proposes technical methods related to establishing a process plan and generating tool paths for optimizing the pattern machining. In this paper, the process plan includes the fellowing three items: 1) deter-mining a global machining sequence-a sequence of profile, top, bottom machining and two set-ups, 2) extracting machining features from a pattern model and merging them, and 3) determining a machining sequence of machining features. To each machining feature, this study determines the machining start point, generates the approach tool path, and proposes a tool path linking method fur reducing the distance of the cutter rapid motion. Finally, a smooth tool path generation and an automatic feedrate adjustment (AFA) method are introduced far raising the machining efficiency.